May 2013

MDM Executive Briefing: Making ‘Value’ Mean Something to Customers

Free, Power Transmission/Motion Control/Fluid Power, Sales & Marketing, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / MDM Staff

In the May 2013 episode, Tim Underhill talks about effectively documenting value-add, and Angela Poulson interviews Hydradyne EVP David Parks.

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Sonepar Sales Up 10% in 2012

Companies, Electrical, Free, News, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / MDM Staff

The global electrical distributor’s geographic footprint now reaches 36 countries.

Sonepar Sales Up 10% in 2012 Read More »

Embrace New Competitive Threats: Don’t Run from Them

Companies, eCommerce, Free, Management, MDM Blog, Strategy, Subscriber Only, Technology / Lindsay Konzak

Adopt or adapt what makes competitors or new technologies tick to your advantage.

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Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index Declines in April

Economic Trends, Free, News, Research & Analytics, Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

The Federal Reserve Board’s industrial production index for manufacturing fell 0.4 percent during the month.

Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index Declines in April Read More »

IBT Acquires Sheppard Supply

Companies, Finance, Free, Mergers & Acquisitions, News, Power Transmission/Motion Control/Fluid Power, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / MDM Staff

Operations for the Springfield, MO-based Sheppard will be consolidated into IBT’s existing Springfield location.

IBT Acquires Sheppard Supply Read More »

Go or No Go: The Value of Due Diligence

Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Subscriber Only / Lindsay Konzak

Due diligence is a critical piece of ensuring that an acquisition results in the value a distributor expects to gain from a transaction. If done wrong, an acquisition can affect everything an owner has built and can damage not only the financials but also the culture of a distribution business. In this article, Jay Greyson of Supply Chain Equity Partners discusses some of the most common mistakes distributors make with acquisitions.

This is an exclusive summary of the April episode of MDM Executive Briefing, The Distribution M&A Playbook, featuring Greyson. Watch now at www.mdm.com/executivebriefing-archive.

In the first couple of months of 2013, M&A transactions in the wholesale distribution industry accelerated …

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Monthly Wholesale Trade Data: March 2013

Economic Trends, Research & Analytics, Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

Sales and inventories data for wholesaler-distributors in March 2013.

Monthly Wholesale Trade Data: March 2013 Read More »

Revenue Growth in Distribution Outpaces U.S. GDP; Outlook Positive

Economic Trends, Research & Analytics, Subscriber Only / Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier

2013 Wholesale Distribution Economic Trends Reports forecast growth in all distribution sectors for the year.

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A Tribute to Allan Chartier, Long-Time Industry Leader

Free, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / Tom Gale

In an industry defined by the quality of relationships, Allan Chartier defined what that means.

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Download this Issue in PDF: May 25, 2013

Full Issue PDF, Subscriber Only / MDM Staff

This is the PDF of this issue of Modern Distribution Management.

Table of Contents:

MDM Interview: Redefining Competitive Advantage
Commentary: A Tribute to Allan Chartier
Go or No Go: The Value of Due Diligence in M&A
Revenue Growth in Distribution Outpaces U.S. GDP; Outlook Positive
MDM Industrial Inflation Index: April 2013

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MDM Interview: Redefining Competitive Advantage

Management, Strategy, Subscriber Only, Top Distributor Sectors / Angela Poulson

InThe End of Competitive Advantage: How to Keep Your Strategy Moving as Fast as Your Business, Columbia Business School Professor Rita Gunther McGrath argues that it’s time to go beyond the concept of sustainable competitive advantage. McGrath spoke with MDM staff writer Angela Poulson on how organizations can capture opportunities quickly, exploit them decisively and move on before they are exhausted.

MDM: Tell me a little about the origins of this book.

Rita Gunther McGrath: The book had its origins in a profound sense of unease that I had that we really haven’t made much progress in the field of strategy for a long time. Historically, strategy was about the search for superior performance and a thing called sustainable competitive advantage. And the idea was you found something that you did better than other companies in your industry and you threw up entry barriers like crazy, …